The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-02-24
Self Supporting Women.
Wilmington (Del.) Start

The field of useful and honorable
employment for women is daily widen
ing. The training schools for nurses
which have been opened in many of
the larger cities are producing results
of a most hopeful nature, and promise,
as they develop, to offer to women a
profession, second only to the medical
profession itself in the practical impor
lance of its mission. These schools
are modelled after the one attached to
the Bellevue Hospital, New York, to
which they correspond very closely in
their regulations. The course of in
struction extends over a period of two
years, and consists of a series of lee
lures given by the physician in charge,
together with constant practice in the
wards, or in private families. During
the first year this practice is entirely
in the wards of the hospital, and under
the direction of the attending physi
clans. The practical demonstrations
given at the bedside of patients are an
important element in the training of
the nurse. Textbooks on the subject
of nursing are used by the pupils to
supplement- the lectures Examina-
tions are held at stated intervals, re-
lating to matters Of practice. During
the second year of the course the pu-
pills are allowed to practice in private
families on application being made for
their services by physicians or patients.
1t is upon the means thus obtained
that the schools depend for their chief
support. Nursing as profession is SO
new to the general public that 1t can
hardly be said, as yet, to have an es-
tablshed standing. The more adj
vanced portion of the public do not
hesitate to declare it a profession hon.
oring its members, many OF whom
come from the highest classes of soci-
ETY.. That the general public will also
come to view the profession in a SINH
lar way is a natural conclusion from
the hi,tory of the training school of
Bellevue. The financial success of
members of this calling would seem to
be evinced by the fact that of the two
hundred and forty-four who have grad
uated from Bellevue during its ten
years existence, one hundred and
eighty-four are still practicing nurses.
Nor does the profession seem to be less
remuneratiye elsewhere. Fifteen dol
lars week including board, is the
minimum that the nurse receives, while
twenty dollars is the usual compensa-
ton.
A fourishing training school for
nurses has been established in connec-
ton with the Children's Hospital of
San Francisco, and is doing a good
work. Writing of this school in the
OUetland Monthly Mrs. Mary ID.
White shows the material advantages
that a professional knowledge of nurs-
ing brings to young girl. She says ::
:" A graduate of the city training
school, All Eastern girl and the daugh-
ter of physician, told me that during
her first year of practice she cleared
over six hundred dollars. She was a
bright, happy looking young lady, and
seemed quite satisfied with her choice
OF occupation; although, as she said, a
nurse, like member of any other ear
nest profession, can have very little OF
what is called ssollal life If she IS
out OF employment, or chooses to take
a vacation, she can visit friends or
spend her time otherwise as a person
of leisure. But, after all, if she does
not get her chief pleasure from the
consciousness of successful work and
the friendship and gratitude OF her
patrons, her life will be for the most
part pleasureless indeed"